Curated OER
Traveling Through Time, Wetland Style
Students create a timeline on the development of the Pajaro Valley Area. In this social science instructional activity, students discuss the changes that took place in the area over the past 300 years. They draw a pictures of how the...
Curated OER
Map of Town
Third graders draw a map of the town given different sites to locate on the map by the teacher. They explain that latitude and longitude are used to locate places on maps and globes, identify the distinctive physical and cultural...
Curated OER
Four Immigrant Groups: Their Lives and Music
Fourth graders examine the experiences of four immigrant groups. Class members brainstorm a list of misconceptions of those groups and discuss if these perceptions are still present today. Using maps, groups locate the countries of...
Library of Congress
Investigating the Building Blocks of Our Community’s Past, Present, and Future
As Ken Jennings said, "There's just something hypnotic about maps." Certainly, the longer you look at them the more you can learn. In this project-based learning lesson, individuals study both historic and present-day maps of...
NET Foundation for Television
1850-1874 African American Settlers
Go West, young man! Scholars investigate the impact of African American settlers moving to the Nebraska territory, following the passage of the Kansas-Nebraska Act in the mid 1800s. Using primary sources, timelines, maps, and...
Teaching Tolerance
Collage of Concerns
A picture can speak louder than words. An interesting lesson introduces the themes of social justice and diversity to young learners by having them create artwork. Scholars create collages from a variety of sources to showcase what...
Curated OER
Tobacco: Exploring Tobacco Culture
Eighth graders are introduced to the tobacco planting process. Using primary sources, they identify the steps necessary to grow the popular crop. They create a flow map to organize the process graphically. They discuss the...
Curated OER
Name That Place: Cultural Place Names in the United States
Students examine the origin of the people that settled in the United States. In this United States History lesson, students work in small groups to complete several activities that explore early settlement, such as a worksheet, a...
Curated OER
Pre-European Cultures of the Upper Mississippi River Valley
Fifth graders locate the Mississippi River Valley on a map. In groups, they use the internet to research the prehistoric periods of this area. They also examine artifacts and pictures and place them into chronological order. They...
Curated OER
Splendid China
Sixth graders gain an appreciation for the traditions and vast contributions of the Chinese culture in this unit of lessons.
Curated OER
International Research Project and Feast
Students research countries around the world. They develop and write a research paper that includes maps, photographs, and diagrams. They describe the culture, society, economy, religious beliefs, government structure, and history of...
Curated OER
Dynastic Explorations
Students complete a unit of lessons on medieval Chinese dynasties. They examine the impact the Chinese culture has had on their own lives, label maps, conduct research, read stories, create bamboo stick sentences, write poems, and make...
Curated OER
All Things Chinese-- Building a Classroom Museum
Students explore China. For this introduction to Chinese culture lesson, students bring in items or pictures from home that represent Chinese culture. Students create a "Chinese museum" by putting these labeled items on display,...
Curated OER
Native American Living Museum
Seventh graders complete a unit of lessons on Native Americans. They analyze Native American cultures, create a Native American artifact for a Living Museum, and develop a tour of the museum using a digital camera and a Powerpoint...
Curated OER
China
Second graders complete a variety of activities surrounding a unit on China and Chinese culture.
Curated OER
United We Stand
Students study Muslim wedding celebrations. They explore Muslim culture and wedding celebrations around the world. Students discuss vows, symbols, and traditions. They create wedding costumes and reenact part of a wedding ceremony.
Curated OER
Asha's Village
Students compare and contrast their own culture with an Indian girl named Asha. For this culture lesson plan, students read, look at pictures, and make inferences.
Curated OER
American Dragon: Jake Long
Students, after viewing the film "American Dragon," by Jake Long, explore and analyze the importance of legends and the unique cultures others grow up in. They stress the need for having a good self-esteem and assess how to work together...
Curated OER
Medieval Travelers
Tenth graders explore the impact of trade on culture. In this trade lesson plan, 10th graders compare the travels of Marco Polo and Ibn Battuta. Students research the explorers and create materials for a gallery walk that feature the...
Curated OER
Traveling on the Sea of Gold: An Adventure in Japan Through Literature
Learners explore the geography and culture of Japan through the story "Sea of Gold" by Yoshiko Uchida. They draw a travel poster of Japan, label a map of Japan, use chopsticks to eat Cheerios, read and discuss various books about Japan,...
Curated OER
An Exploratory Approach to the Teaching of French in the Middle School
Students review the most recent vocabulary list of French words. Using literature by Victor Hugo and Guy de Maupassant, they discover the history and culture of France. Using a map and the text, they locate the cities and regions of...
Curated OER
A Helping Hand: The Role of Guides During Western Expansion
Students research and examine the lives and culture of western mountain guides during the early to mid 1800s. Students write reports about a guide they research, do a simulation of the guide by keeping a journal, managing money and...
Curated OER
Maps and Globes
First graders complete a unit on map skills and the globe. They label maps, create a styrofoam ball globe, create a map of their community, sing a continent song, and complete a map and globe assessment worksheet.
Curated OER
Mapping the News
Students explore cartography. In this map skills and map making lesson, Students work in groups to create wall size world maps including legends, compass roses, latitude and longitude, and physical features. Students collect...